Where Do You Dwell? Neighborhood as a Determinant of School Attendance in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

This study examined school attendance rates across housing types in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Based on literature that establishes associations among neighborhood deprivation and adverse
health and educational outcomes, and on emerging scholarship of ger districts in Ulaanbaatar, the study hypothesized residence in ger districts (gers and family houses) would be associated with lower rates of school attendance. A chi-square test of homogeneity was conducted on a dataset made available by UNICEF to examine group differences in school attendance within a sample
of 2,827 young people between the ages of 6-18, across three housing types (gers, houses, and apartments). Results indicate residence in ger districts is associated with lower rates of school
attendance compared to residence in apartment districts. Policy implications include improvements in physical environment and public services in ger districts.